TV licencing bloke calls...

[greenorelse]

Getting rid of the tv must be the first step in self-sufficientism. What do you think?[/quote

Explain.

What I think I mean is this: does aspiration towards a self-sufficent lifestyle contain any justification for spending cash on such frivolities as tv?

Perhaps another way: self-sufficiency, does this include having more than you need?

I confess, I have never had a tv and see no real point in having one.

[Big Al]

What I think I mean is this: does aspiration towards a self-sufficent lifestyle contain any justification for spending cash on such frivolities as tv?

Perhaps another way: self-sufficiency, does this include having more than you need?

I confess, I have never had a tv and see no real point in having one.

It all depends on a personal interpritation of Self sufficiency, frivolous items or having more than you need etc.

In the true sense of the words "Self sufficiency" no one can succeed as no one can truly be self sufficient. Take it back to the bare bones of survival. You need heat, food, shelter and water. Shelter could be a natural made cave but anything "man made" such as houses or flats would have to be made by the SS person. Can you ( as in the SS person) make your own house, boat, caravan, barn etc? Food, You could forage food, trap, hunt and grow food so you could possibly be SS in food or you could go to the shops but that would not be SS as others have had to grow, hunt, farm the food, package, deliver, sell the food etc etc.

If you were to keep animals then you would need to make fences and gates. Can you make a gate hinge or latch like a blacksmith etc ?
Water you could collect your own water provided you dug your own well or bore hole. Maybe you could carry enough water from a nearby stream or spring if it runs through your land so in essence you could be water SS If you don't dig your own well or bore hole but take water from adjacent land not owned by you then you are not self sufficient in water. Heat. Well you would need to gather fuel for the fire, learn how to strike a light, keep it going and then use it.

So if you live in a cave, gather your own fuel water and food you can be self sufficient. Anything else could be frivilous or living a more modern life.. To me a self sufficient lifestyle encompases treading lighter on the earth, helping and educating others in SS, being as strong mentally and phyically as I can and having enough to eat, drink and share with others.....

..... Oh and sky sports 1,2,3,4 to keep the bloody wife quiet.......

....Well that's how i see it.

Edited to add : I envy those who have no TV.

[eco-mick]

To me a self sufficient lifestyle encompases treading lighter on the earth, helping and educating others in SS, being as strong mentally and phyically as I can and having enough to eat, drink and share with others.....

..... Oh and sky sports 1,2,3,4 to keep the bloody wife quiet.......

....Well that's how i see it.

Edited to add : I envy those who have no TV.

+1

I have my own TV here, and I don't pay a penny to the TVLA at all - reason being, I don't watch "Live" broadcasts of any shows. I have the tv for the pleasure of having music streamed to it via the External harddrives. Also to watch catch up and Blu Rays for saturdays nights in. Which in all one doesn't need a licence for what so ever.

But what I found is, by living a more greener life you tend to find yourself more busy doing something else and have "no" time for the tv lol - still £145 odd a year saved.

[oldjerry]

BA has said practically everything I would have,except more eruditely and less bluntly.SS has become a pejorative term witness much discussed recent 'goodlife' programme.It was just a somewhat derivative book from wayback.To me 'ish' people seem to fall into different categories: those who grow their own,recycle etc. cos it 's tastier,makes you feel better etc. those who are completely skint and have no choice but to live on a shoestring,therefore do ish things as they have to(and perhaps still make a virtue out of a neccesity) and those who have a philosophical attitude that rejects consumerism,and dependance on the state.Then finally theres the biggest group,those who are a bit of all these things! Either there's nothing like the buzz of becoming more self-reliant.

[Marc]

If I had a TV it would annoy me so much I'd probably end up throwing something at it and breaking it
90% of what's on, holds absolutely no interest to me whatsoever so it's not a great hardship to go without. It does mean you have the time to do other things - which you DO need if you're trying to be anything like self-sufficient!
Only trouble is the internet is just as bad a time-waster

[oldjerry]

Agreed ! but you have to talk to someone occasionally! Misanthropy is comforting but even Schopenhaur and Chamfort got a bit lonely sometimes!

[Graye]

Eco-mick, have you had any visits from said "TV licencing blokes"? I'll bet they were hard-pressed to know what to do with you. Presumably you just needed to show that you didn't have a TV aerial?

[eco-mick]

Eco-mick, have you had any visits from said "TV licencing blokes"? I'll bet they were hard-pressed to know what to do with you. Presumably you just needed to show that you didn't have a TV aerial?

Yes, I had the calling card from a visit to my home (We will be back etc) lol well I was at work though at the time

and the masses of letters (your under investagtion etc...).

The calling card was the straw that broke this camels back in the end - as a phone call was placed and a complaint was recorded via their customer services dept - went along the lines that the TVLA is a limited company and what they are doing is on the verge of extoration from the gerenal public which is a offence which will lead the said firm in court if they try it again with me. Bloke on the other end didn't know what hit him - pays to know your rights in this game.

But, TVLA have "no" right of access to your home.. they are nothing more than salesmen trying to earn a conmission on each "illegal" viewer they catch and get your to confess to them at all costs. I got nowt to hide and they can see the aerial has been removed including the wires. I phyisally have no need to watch any tv as I watch it via iPlayer on the laptop or download the content to watch another time when it suits me and what I would like as well. But there is no way they TVLA are walking through my life and home to see Im watching "Live" tv or not.

Put it this way Its like the sales rep from T***o demanding access to your home to see either that tin of beans was bought from them or not. In future.. if anyone gets a visit from TVLA - best thing to do if your legal or not is to shut the door in their face - do not talk to them at all costs. They have to prove your watching anything "live" - they will give their vile talk about detectors etc, but they won't disclose this for evidence in court therefore they can't go for you on this. They have to see you watching tv with their own eyes as its been broadcasted.

To date since that call 3 months ago - I got nowt. (peace at last) - still fighting other junk mail now.

Think they got the message in the end that I do not need a licence, as a lawful type person I will be in touch when I need one by law (maybe when I start dating again - I dunno, as I yet to meet a lass who understands the ish life).. until then.. they can kiss my chickens feathered rear end, as I will save £145 a year by watching shows online via iPlayer etc..

Law is a pain though and I can see it being changed in the coming years when more and more people cotton on that downloading is the way to go. Digital changes :D

Edit: few mistakes to iron out lol

[crowsashes]

i ditched the tv when it broke- cancelled the licence as well (getting a refund as i had only had it 6 mths -the licence not the tv

ive had the letters - even a TV licencing van park out side - supposedly 'looking' for a 'signal' coming from my house...

i waved at him when i went out haven't heard from them since...

still some times i wish i did have a TV , when little ones ill it keeps him happy while i get on with the jobs that need doing - computer used as a dvd player at the mo fixes that one. then these cold nights i wouldnt mind the odd tv show on while i knit.

still cant afford a new TV set , freeview boxor even the bliming licence atm so it will have to wait.

[Ellendra]

I'm still trying to work out how they can demand a license for owning a TV???

[Graye]

Not for owning one, Ellendra, but for receiving a TV signal via one (or a live signal via a computer with TV card). We have to pay to keep BBC execs in their luxury homes after all. Commercial TV can manage to put out progammes and fund themselves via advertising but the Beeb see themselves as somehow better than that. And you can't just claim to watch commercial stations, if you can get ANY signal you need a licence.

Anyway, OH is particularly anti these guys as two very thuggish ones arrived on his doorstep just as he had two polce officers in the house telling him his first wife had died in an accident. Fortunately last time the police took them aside and confirmed there was no TV. They stayed away for a couple of years after that. Hence the slammed door when this one called.

We DO have a TV (and licence) in France. This is collected via their equivalent of council tax. If you have a Satellite dish or aerial you have to have a licence, end of story. You can just state that there is no dish/aerial and have the charge removed - although I'm sure they check. At least there isn't this automatic assumption that no normal person can get through the day without a TV and therefore that they must be lying if they say the don't have one!

[Flo]

There was no telly in house when family was growing up. However husband was a radio amateur and their licence allows them to broadcast TV on non commerical airwaves. It was great fun when the TV van found the signal and bloke was bought in to watch a radio amateur at work - all his friends and contacts telling TV man the rules and regulations by way of the telly set. Great fun and there was no further trouble.

Mind this was the local group that did the communications at the Lockerbie crash as part of their civil defence duties because the police radio gear couldn't get round the hills. So the lads and lassies knew a thing or two - including what to tell the TV licensing van.

I keep getting the letters but haven't had a visit or seen a van.

[Big Al]

Me too pbf, it is waaaay to easy to just slup infront of it. We are trialling a no telly night twice a week in our house, and that is hard enough I hate the damn thing.

Ah, I could try that.... so long as there is no footie on that night or MRS BA will lynch me.

[Big Al]

BA has said practically everything I would have,except more eruditely and less bluntly.SS has become a pejorative term witness much discussed recent 'goodlife' programme.It was just a somewhat derivative book from wayback.To me 'ish' people seem to fall into different categories: those who grow their own,recycle etc. cos it 's tastier,makes you feel better etc. those who are completely skint and have no choice but to live on a shoestring,therefore do ish things as they have to(and perhaps still make a virtue out of a neccesity) and those who have a philosophical attitude that rejects consumerism,and dependance on the state.Then finally theres the biggest group,those who are a bit of all these things! Either there's nothing like the buzz of becoming more self-reliant.

nice poncy words OJ..... what do they mean
Actually I was going along the same lines as you might but then re wrote it several times as my first lot of thought were rather cynical, crass and rude,lol..... typical me then. Can I show my wife this post OJ just to show her I'm not really a knuckle scraper all the time.....

[oldjerry]

Are you suggesting I'm pretentious???...........................Moi?????????????